Generation of primitive behaviors for non-linear hyperelastic octopus-inspired robotic arm

This work addresses open-loop control strategies for continuum robotic manipulators inspired by the octopus arm, which are based on solving numerically a detailed elasto-dynamic model. Octopus arms are muscular hydrostats, capable of performing a variety of dexterous movements, which can be of particular interest to the design of relevant robotic prototypes. Octopus arm muscles consist of fibers and surrounding tissues, and exhibit nearly incompressible hyperelastic behavior. In the present work, they are simulated by a three-dimensional non-linear finite element numerical procedure, using appropriate activation functions for the generation of primitive octopus arm behaviors involving large deformations, such as bending, reaching, fetching and grasping. Preliminary experimental evaluation is performed using an SMA-actuated robotic prototype.